Day 14 - Richie Havens

This was something I stumbled upon as I wandered the YouTubes(ha). Woodstock. What amazing music that was. What a slice of history that is so far removed from what is seen as talent and special today it is almost feels like fiction. Did that really exist? Did people play music until they bled without care for their wardrobe? Richie is still making music and pray that people listen. 

"Reach". Books are almost more important to me than music. I don't care how one reads, whether it be hard copy or on an "e-reader" which is the way the world is moving to, as long as one reads and explores imagination. I personally enjoy holding a book, a different book, in my hands every time I read. They take up space, yes, and can yellow and become old, but so will I. Words resonate and allow the imagination to soar in a way television stymies and dulls such things. Perhaps that is too critical of television. I do watch movies and TV all the same, but feel only a portion of what I feel when I read. Ah. I ramble too much. I AM getting old.

B- Side

Fires set

The world alight

He was not here

Nothingman Tonight

Shadows grasp

at daylight's heels

He burns them all

This man who  feels

Day 13 - OkGo

Managed to keep this day afloat. Listening to a whole bunch of music tonight, but OkGo was top of the list. It was an interesting experience because I did not watch their videos while I drew, just listened. They write good music(or good music is written for them?) on the whole. 

"One who wades" was somewhat traditional. All of them start out with random lines and move from there. I guess this is why I don't feel "legit" as an artist per se. I mean, most of what I do is random, doodlish, and looks somewhat unfinished. Is that art? Is that making a statement of some kind? Not really. I draw what I feel and move fast and without thinking. Something I don't do in my everyday life. Not everything I make is perfect and this allows me to accept this imperfection. A blank canvas is a scary thing. Once you make that mark, there is no going back. That's why I like drawing without an idea in my head of where I'm going. It allows the work to move and evolve, but on the same token, makes things look somewhat rushed and unfinished. I refine somewhat and could flesh them out into 'real" works, but I'd rather not. I almost never recreate what I doodle/draw/design. I move forward. I don't plan. Does that make me a crummy artist? Sometimes I think it does.

B-Side

Of course there is a B-Side! Tonight was more relaxed and I was groovin to the music! Long day today of moving boxes and other such cleaning activities. Rest tomorrow and recover. Enjoy the day. I drew patterns for the B-Side tonight. I'd give a 75%. Wasn't what I started to do but I liked the result. If you read what I wrote above you would understand that. If you're reading what I'm writing now I'm impressed you're still here. 

:)

 

"The Apparition Speaks" 

Words are like fire sometimes.

Day 12 - Neutral Milk Hotel

I love band names. Love them. I enjoy the imagery they convey. It doesn't hurt if the music is good as well. Sometimes they are like art pieces, long winded and hopelessly ironic. There's even a band called "The Band". How ballsy and great is that?! It's like naming a painting "The Painting". Amazing. This is a makeup day. Had to draw two pieces today.  I digress. Artwork heading your way.

"The Great Divide" is lookin' at you now. I went more my regular style today. It happens when I get tired. It's not that I mind drawing like this. Sometimes I like something different. I haven't drawn any birds mainly so far. I believe there was one a few days back, but not a regular. Maybe tomorrow. No B-Sides today. Too much to draw and I just wasn't grooving enough to add any more. Caught up though. Feel good. Long weekend. Feel GOOD about that. Going to need to ask for more songs/music. Running out and I don't want to surf YouTube for anything.

Day 11 - Counting Crows

Missed another day. Sometimes I care and sometimes I don't. I wish I could force myself to draw during the day but I find myself most reflective at night in the wee hours, and last night I was just too dog tired to do anything. It was a long LONG day at work. Is that an excuse? Am I trying to justify my lack of doing this? Yes. Not good. At least I am keeping up with it and not getting too far behind. I enjoyed tonight's drawing. It was very different to a very familiar song and one I quite enjoy. The results were nice. 

Not at all what I really expected. "Hills" came out of pattern. I actually drew this one "upside down" if you will. A doodle that I must say isn't totally terrible, and since I am the judge of that and will hear no objections, then it is so. hah.

Day 10 - Blind Melon

This is not so much about the artwork as it will be about the music. Blind Melon was an amazing band. My musical ignorance never ceases to amaze me. It seems if we only look to the surface, we miss SO much. The radio is full of so much crap I can't believe it. I spend a good part of my days in the car driving around, and I listen to the radio. Any given day I will hear the same song over and over and over and OVER again. No depth, very little change. MAYBE once a day will I hear a song that doesn't make me want to set the radio on fire. Blind Melon. Their only "hit" was "No Rain". Does not encompass the band as a whole in even the slightest margin! I'm listening to a song now..."Mother". It is amazing. I've never heard it before and it is over 15 years old. I'm doing this project not only to keep my imagination afloat but to expand and explore a depth of music that is so lacking. 

"The Offering" So many give all that they have so that others may benefit. Will anyone read this blog(Besides Elizabeth, I love you!). Probably not. I may show it to my children one day, a testament to what I once was.

No B-Side tonight. Tomorrow should be a fun day (a certain "letter" went out at work and is causing quite the stir!)

Day 9 - My Morning Jacket

These days come and go so fast. It is mind boggling how the time flies. It seems we just got done preparing for the holidays and now...they're over? The Grind is back? Work? It is relentless and thus my focus remains on doing something outside of work to maintain some aspect of sanity(video games help too, but I feel this makes me more present in the moment as opposed to the opposite feeling.

"You Do Not See What You Hold" Because who among us really do? Do we see what we have until it is gone and then realize how amazing it was? I realize nostalgia is the enemy and thwarter of progress but it hold a stong rope on our thoughts. Since the first ever generation looked at the second generation ever, the first has ALWAYS said "we weren't THIS bad!", but they were, worse even, in some ways. I look at the kids I work with and think "There is no way you will see 20". I must be getting old.

B-Side

 

BAM! B-Side! Whoooo! Art should contain humor sometimes. Not ironic humor that only deep thinking hoity toity types get. The base, silly, stupid stuff that every kid enjoys. Don't get me wrong. I love dark, humorous, ironic art as much as the next art school student, but I don't want to have my head so far up in the clouds I can't laugh at a fart joke. I may be old but I can still appreciate the absurd, silly things in life.

Day 8 - Muse

Ah, caught up again! Feels good. I don't want to get behind. It was strange switching music over like this but I felt that the change did me good. I shifted gears and spent some time on something different. I went more realistic this time. I like partials and doing some aspects of a person. Doing a whole form to me seems tedious. I think this way it's a tad more mysterious and strange. I think we all want to be that way but realize that we aren't all too different from other people.

I hate cliche titles to works. Someone might call this "Voice" or "Speak" or something and that would be all well and good, but it is what would be expected. On the opposite side of the same coin, I can't stand titles that make NO sense whatsoever, such as "The Belligerant Swan Follows the Dusty Path of Solitude into Frederick's Green Garden which exists only in his mind because Frederick is bug and DEAD." The title ALONE should be worth 20,000 BS points. 

I'll call this one "Untitled"

*gag*

Nah. How does "White Noise" strike you(me)? Good? Good.